


The Golden Cage

by Chilling-in-the-dark (All_Of_The_Heros)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dark, Dark Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Kidnapping, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Reader-Insert, Unhealthy Relationships, Yandere, Yandere Avatar: the last airbender, Yandere Zuko (Avatar), Yandere atla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:22:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24377932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_Of_The_Heros/pseuds/Chilling-in-the-dark
Summary: This is a yandere story; it mentions elements of obsession, possessiveness, death, murder, kidnapping, imprisonment, and mental abuse. If any of this is triggering for you, I understand, and you don’t have to read it.You should have run the first time Zuko's ship made port
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 31
Kudos: 262





	1. Post Room

**Author's Note:**

> So you know how I said I might end up writing a thing for Zuko, well things happen and here’s part one of five will be flipping between what I’m calling pre and post room chapters, that I’ll make sense in a bit I promise. Anyways here’s yandere Zuko a thing no one asked for, but you got anyhow.

Zuko smiled softly when he entered your chambers, you’d always had that effect on him, and he didn’t doubt that you always would. Zuko hoped that one day you’d act like you used to around him, back when searching for the Avatar had been a hopeless dream, the last shard of hope he’d had. You’d smiled so freely back then, and you’d been full of backtalk and witty banter, all in all, you’d been exactly what Zuko needed in his life.

For now, Zuko would content himself to spending what few precious hours of free time he had with you, in his mind, it was never enough. Still, he also had a hundred-year-old mess to clean up, and it was going to take more than the five years that had passed since he’d taken up the throne to really get that job done, but for now, it seemed things had come to a bit of a lull.

Zuko had told you as much, while you fidgeted with the golden handcuffs on your wrists, it almost made you want to laugh how well they fit your current life. You were a bird in a golden cage longing to fly free, and yet you clung to your captors every word because his daily visits were the only time you got to speak to anyone.

All of the servants were under strict orders not to talk to you; they were only there to bring you items you asked for from a list the Fire Lord had approved, a list that shrank after every clever attempt at escape. Currently, you were only allowed meals that you could eat with your hands unless Zuko himself was present, because you’d stabbed a guard in the eyes with a pair of chopsticks in your last effort to flee. That had also been the incident that had earned you your shiny shackles. Since the staff now feared for their lives, it was the only way that they would still serve you.

At least that’s what Zuko told you when he was putting them on.

You couldn’t remember how long ago that was, it had to be a few weeks at least, or was it months, it was hard to keep track of time in a room with paintings of the outside world where windows should be. Your body had to figure out its own type of rhythm, and it seemed to have a general sense for when Zuko was going to arrive because there hadn’t been in repetitions of the first time you’d been asleep when Zuko arrived.

You’d woke to the sound of the ~~prince’s~~ Fire Lord’s heartbeat as your head lay on his chest, once that would have been a welcome sound, but now all it did was send a jolt of fear down your spine. Though that had been ages ago, it still gave you an excellent incentive to be awake when he arrived. In fact, right afterword, you’d stayed up for nearly a week straight and had only relented because he’d had the servants start slipping sleeping medication into your tea.

The next time you saw Zuko, you made some snarky comment about drugging prisoners; after that, he didn’t return for a week, and you learned your lesson about calling yourself a prisoner. Zuko seemed to think that you were still his girlfriend.

In your head, though, you’d always be a prisoner. Even if you were dressed in the finest silks, and ate food you never would have dreamed of in your days as a wanderer, you would never be able to truly enjoy it because all you’d wanted was freedom. You’d gladly give it all up just to be able to feel the sun on your skin again or hear the wind whistle through the trees. Sure, most nights growing up, you’d slept on the ground because whatever your mother was running from, it had made her want to avoid people, but at least you’d been able to count the stars. Now all you had was the lavishly gilded ceiling above your head, and in your mind, it was a poor comparison.

If Zuko ever noticed your reluctance to talk, he never said anything, the only time Zuko honestly expected a reply was when he asked you a question. Even then, he was so caught up in his delusions that he was happy with one-word answers. The question he posed today was one that made your heart sink, no not sink the ship you’d stowed away on sinking was what got you into this mess. The question made your heart drop was a much better way to describe it, you decided.

“Do you think we should get married soon?” There was so much hope in Zuko’s eyes as he asked that question, but you were sure the only thing reflected in yours was dread. You knew this day was coming; after all, you might not have been sure how long you’d been down here, but Zuko had visibly aged. It had to meant that years had gone by. The only thing you could do now was stall.

“Perhaps, but I’d like some time to think about it, when to get married is a big decision after all.” You weren’t going to lie to yourself; there was no _if_ to marrying Zuko; there was only a _when,_ and you had every intention to stall as long as possible. You may have finally given up trying to escape, but that didn’t mean you were ready to give in to your captor entirely.

“Perhaps a walk would help you think,” Zuko said as he offered his hand to help you stand up. You didn’t want to be left alone again, and angering Zuko seemed to be the fastest way to have that happen. After the chopstick incident, he hadn’t come down for what seemed like forever, and you weren’t ready to face that again, so you accepted his offer. What harm could a walk around the room, do anyways?

Except it wasn’t just a walk around the room, for the first time in five years you stepped foot outside of your chamber without immediately getting thrown back in. You were so happy you could cry, and a single tear really did roll down your cheek when he took you to the courtyard.

The stars were more beautiful then you remembered as they twinkled above your head, and the smell of grass. You hadn’t even thought about it, but now it would haunt your dreams because you knew you were going back in that room this was just some whim of Zuko’s, but still it was the closest thing to freedom you’d had in years.

Yet you knew you were still a bird in a golden cage this freedom was only temporary, it was a clever ploy to give you hope that maybe just maybe if you married Zuko, you’d get to see the outside world more. You hated yourself because it was working.

“Zuko when we get married, would I get to come out here more,” You did your best to suppress the fear in your voice. Either you did a good job, or Zuko’s selective hearing had kicked back in because he smiled at you and kissed your cheek.

Physical contact was something you’d had to learn to tolerate from Zuko because it was the only way you’d get any. At first, you’d fought it, and he’d relented giving you your space, he said he understood what a big adjustment your new lifestyle was, but you quickly became so touch starved that you basically threw yourself into his arms one day.

“Of course, though I fear you’d be rather busy a lot of things have been neglected at court in my mother’s absence, though the most pressing matter is the staff, it desperately needs tending to. Some of them are older than Uncle, and they still haven’t been allowed to retire because no one thought to find their replacements, and apparently, no one thought to arrange schooling for the servant children. So, unless corrected soon, our next generation of servants might not even be able to read.” Zuko paused for a second to think before continuing, “but I don’t see why all of that can’t be handled from right here.”

You knew Zuko was a man of his word, so if he said that you’d be allowed out of your room, even if it was just to handle court business, then he meant it. If you married Zuko, you’d be allowed to go outside, you’d be free. You weren’t even aware of how far your definition of freedom had fallen, because this had you ready to say yes on the spot.

“You know what Zuko, I do think it’s a good idea to get married soon.” You knew you were giving in to his desires, something you’d promised yourself you wouldn’t do. Yet here you stood bending to Zuko’s whim because he’d given you something that should have been your right. The person you were before the room would despise who you’d become after it.

“How does three months from now sound?” Zuko asked with a tone you could only compare to excitement.


	2. Pre Room

You stood on the deck of Zuko’s ship, leaning with your arms resting on the railing. Feeling the night breeze blowing through your hair, the smell of salt burning your nose, and the feeling of the sea spray on your skin were a few of your favorite things about sailing.

“You keep doing that, and you're going to fall overboard.” You didn’t even need to look back to recognize Zuko’s voice, having become familiar with it over the last few months you’d spent on his ship. In front of others, Zuko was loud and brash and angry, he was still all of those things with you, but sometimes if he was in the right mood and no one else was around, he could be other things too.

“You’d fish me out,” You said, not bothering to look back at him, still enjoying the sea spray while you could, Zuko had decided to travel to the south pole next and having been to the north pole, you knew it would be much too frigid to enjoy anything on the deck. Though firebender’s from what you’d heard were mostly unaffected by the cold, lucky bastard's.

“Oh, what makes you so sure of that,” a playful barb, tonight seemed to be one of his good nights.

“You did the first time, and I was a stranger then, but now I’m your best friend.” Maybe more you thought, unsure of where you stood with the Fire Nation Prince.

“And I regret that decision every day,” Zuko said with feigned irritation.

“We both know that you could have chucked me out the second you made port, but you got attached.” You finally turn around to face Zuko your back against the railing. Zuko watched with curiosity as your hands moved. You started unconsciously fidgeting with the amber pendant around your neck. He’d noticed it when he’d had to fish you out of the ocean, and you’d almost never seemed to take it off, So Zuko knew it must be important to you.

“Do you want to see it?” you asked, noticing where Zuko’s eyes had focused. He put his hand out as you pulled the leather strap over your head.

“Is that a butterfly trapped in the amber?” Zuko asked as he inspected the Amber by moonlight. You nodded a quick yes, admiring the way his eyes matched the jewel in his hand. Zuko could be a lot of things, infuriating, bossy, and loud, to name a few, but he was also the most mesmerizing person you’d ever met.

“It’s a family heirloom; if I get married, then I'll give it to my husband, who will, in turn, give it to our oldest daughter when she comes of age, though admittedly I got it a bit early due to well you know.” Having missing and presumed dead mothers was something you and Zuko had bonded over.

“If you get married, not when?” The Fire Nation Prince spoke as he handed back your necklace, with a strange look you’d never seen before in his eyes.

“I’ve never stayed in one place for more than a few weeks Zuko that kind of makes falling in love difficult.”

“When I find the Avatar, you could come back to the Fire Nation with me.” The Prince offered. What you didn’t have the heart to tell Zuko is that you didn’t think that he’d ever find the Avatar, you like most people assumed he’d died a long time ago. Instead, you smiled and hummed in agreement, it was best not to ruin Zuko’s good mood if you didn’t have to.

Honestly, you wouldn’t mind living on this ship for the rest of your life, Zuko as troubled as he was with his dual nature, was simultaneously one of the best and worst people you’d ever met. Iroh, on the other hand, was consistent with his kindness, while not being afraid to correct the crew when they’d called you the princes’ whore, or pet. If there was one thing that you didn’t like about this ship, it was the crew, they didn’t like Zuko. That was understandable; he was an asshole to them, but you wish you weren’t guilty by association.

“And where would I stay?” You were content to let Zuko live a beautiful lie until he had to face the stark truth on his own, the Avatar was dead.

“In the royal palace, as a guest of the prince.” Your heart jumped into your throat when you saw just the slightest of smiles on his face. Even his uncle never got to see that expression. Tonight, was a very good night indeed.

***

As you neared the Sothern water tribe, the air grew colder and colder, and with you only having the clothes on your back, you tended to avoid going on the deck if you could. Instead, you spent your time enjoying the Fire Nation’s genius in using the heat generated in the boiler room to warm the rest of the ship. All one had to do was open their vent in their room, and they’d be nice and toasty, that is unless some asshole Firebender decided to weld it shut.

That’s how you found yourself wandering the halls of the ship because it was much too cold to stay in your room, though the halls weren’t exactly what you’d describe as warm it was better than your room at least. Eventually, you got so tired you sat down with your back against a wall; it was just to rest for a bit you told yourself but then fell asleep. You didn’t want to tell Zuko because that would only stir up trouble, he seemed to be a little more protective the normal lately.

You just shrugged it off, you and Iroh were the only people he had around to bond with, and he thought you were helpless; you could fight, but that was a secret to be played close to the vest, especially with a man like Zuko. You may have been in love with him, but if he knew you could fight, then he’d start expecting you to help him, and your place as a neutral party in this war would go up in smoke. You may have been on a fire nation ship, but that didn’t mean you stood with them.

You should have known he’d find you anyways. It was a small ship, and it seemed Zuko had a sixth sense for your location because once he’d decided that he wanted to find you, it didn’t take him long to do so. You didn’t know it yet, but Zuko had more plans for you than letting you stay in the palace as his guest, one day when the two of you were a little older, he had every intention of making you his wife.

You brought something out of him that he’d nearly forgotten he could feel for anyone besides Uncle, a steady, unyielding urge to protect the people he cared for, especially the one’s who couldn’t defend themselves. He couldn’t lose anyone else like he’d lost his mother.

So, he’d been pissed when he found your room freezing where someone had welded the vent shut. For now, his goal was to find you and bring you back to his room where it was warm, after that his crew would learn you were _off-limits_ and any action that was brought onto you would be returned tenfold. He wondered how one of his men would like a quick dip in the frigid arctic waters.

Once he had found where you were, you were about an inch away from freezing, and when you didn’t respond to him trying to wake you up his priorities switched, save your life first then find and punish the one responsible later.

It would be several hours later that you’d find yourself safely in the arms of the Fire Nation Prince. A very shirtless Fire Nation Prince, in fact, and he was warmer than you’d expected. You weren’t sure if it was because you’d been so cold or if firebender’s really did have a higher body temperature than usual. Really you must have still been a little out of it from the cold if your first concern wasn’t the fact that you were cuddled up to Zuko, it been why he was so warm.

Now it really started to hit you, you were cuddled up in the arms of your crush, and he was shirtless. For a second, you’d tried to pull away, but he had a solid grip around your waist, so you relented and decided that you’d stay where you were until he woke up. In the morning, Zuko would inform you that until they could get the vent in your room fixed, you’d be staying with him. Part of you didn’t care if you got to crash with your crush, then it wouldn’t be so bad, and yet another part sounded a lot like the crew whispering about you being the Prince’s whore.

He never did get around to having the vent fixed, and it definitely wasn’t an intentional oversite because he liked having you sleep in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Always Feedback I Welcomed.


	3. Post Room

Zuko had been right about the lull only being temporary because only about a month had gone by, and now it seemed the world was falling apart at his feet again. The Earth King Kuei had come to visit the Fire Nation Palace, and that had his still very disorganized staff running around like pig chickens with their heads cut off. If this meeting didn’t go well then, the tentative peace with the Earth Kingdom he and the Avatar had worked so hard to maintain could be broken.

Maybe he should have you start looking after the staff and such early, but he also didn’t want to overwhelm you by changing things too fast. He’d just started letting you have limited access to the palace so long as you took your guards. It may have been only to the places that you needed to go in order to oversee the wedding plans, but he hoped one day to give you real freedom to wander the palace and surrounding town as you saw fit.

Zuko had never wanted to cage you, but then you’d tried to leave him and go off wandering the world again. Zuko couldn’t let that happen; he needed you like he needed to breathe, not to mention how unsafe the outside world was, sure the war was over, but the peace had been an uneasy one and most people were still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not to mention the fact that his father still had loyalists, all it would take is one of them killing you to break Zuko.

Now that you were to be his bride, you couldn’t leave him, maybe it was time to start introducing you to the duties of the Fire Lords consort. Zuko smiled at the thought of you being his wife, invitations to the wedding had already been sent, and he was sure that day would be one of the happiest of his life, second only by the birth of your future children.

Still, for now, he needed to greet Kuei, maybe he could have you come with him to do that. It’s what he was supposed to do right, have his future wife greet foreign diplomats. It was hard to say the Fire Nation hadn’t had foreign diplomats in its borders for a very long time, but it seemed like the thing to do.

Besides, maybe meeting someone new would bring out some of that old spark he loved. He found himself longing for the days on his ship when you would call him out on his bullshit, but not in the same way the crew or uncle did, the crew would insult him, uncle would spew proverbs, but you would roll your eyes with an endearing smile and tell him he was being ridiculous.

At first, he hated it, but after a month he came to depend on it, there were no riddles with you. Zuko understood his uncle wanted him to figure things out on his own, and that helped him grow in a lot of ways, but it was also nice having someone who was straight forward and not afraid to speak their mind.

He hadn’t wanted to –

break you, but it’d been necessary, he knew from all the years of tactical school he’d been forced to attend, that it would have been much faster to have someone torture you and then come in and patch you up himself. Zuko had never wanted to hurt you, in fact, the thought of seeing you injured again after you’d taken that lightning strike for him made Zuko sick.

He’d thought you’d died and had nearly gone as psycho as Azula, which had apparently been what allowed him the beat his sister because evidently, all this time, he’d unconsciously been holding back against his little sister. Zuko proved far stronger than anyone had ever thought because he’d had Azula down in under a minute.

Now that you were broken, though, Zuko could start putting you back the way you were, only without the need to wander the world with no roots to ground you.

Dinner with Kuei had been a bit awkward at first. Zuko had never been much good when it came to small talk, and even after being Fire Lord for five years, that hadn’t changed much. What saved him from having to sit there while trying not to be awkward enough to start another war was you.

You came in with the grace and elegance befitting a future queen, your guards, the same ones that got assigned to you after the chopstick incident, were trailing behind you looking ready to tackle someone, most likely you, at the slightest hint of provocation. Few people in the palace knew the truth, everyone had just thought you’d been sick and had finally recovered, but those that did were extremely weary of you.

You smiled as you greeted your guest, well not your guest, he was Zuko’s guest, and you were Zuko’s prisoner, but you knew better than to carry on like that. As much as you wanted to be free, you didn’t want it to come at the price of another war, even now you knew your life wasn’t worth the lives of the thousands of innocent people another one would cost.

“I’m sorry I’m late, but wedding planning is apparently much more work the ether Zuko, and I thought,” You said with an exuberant smile on your face. If it hadn’t been for the years of breath control training he’d received, Zuko would have chocked on air it that moment. Gently you lowered yourself down to the seat on Zuko’s left, the place that would officially be yours in a little over two months.

You banished that thought from your mind; now wasn’t the time to think about the inevitability of your marriage or how at one point in your life, the idea of marring Zuko would have made you smile, but now made you want to cry. It wasn’t the time to think about how with each second you had to spend planning the wedding, you were more and more likely to have a mental break down.

So instead you kept the small talk going with the Earth King, he was a pleasant man if a bit peculiar, you were just glad he’d decided to leave his pet bear in the Earth Kingdom, you didn’t think your nerves could handle that.

You wouldn’t know it because Zuko was doing his best to keep his temper in check, but your fiancé was stewing in jealousy, he couldn’t get you to talk to him, but you’d do it with that cowardly fool of a king. Even after you agreed to be his wife, you still hadn’t told him you loved him, you’d said it to him constantly when you, him, and uncle were pretending to be Earth Kingdom refugees in Ba Sing Se.

After dinner was finished and Kuei retired to his chambers, Zuko found himself leading you into his chambers with a bruising grip on your wrist. “You’ll smile and laugh with that fool but not me, I’ve given you everything, my heart, my soul, my country, a roof over your head, food in your stomach, the list could go on, and this is how you treat me. You’ve agreed to marry me, but you haven’t said you loved me in years,” Zuko hissed, dragging you further into the room until your knees hit the bed.

Then Zuko shoved you down onto his bed and used his weight to pin your body down while holding your wrists above your head with so much force, you’d thought they might break. That wasn’t the worst part though, the worst of it would have to be the heat emanating from his hands, you could feel your skin burning underneath his touch.

Once, years ago, you would have scoffed at anyone who’d have said Zuko would hurt you, but now you’re faced with the stark truth, Zuko was never anything like you thought he was, inside he was just as cruel and mean as his father.

Yet you knew at the same time Zuko wasn’t, he could be kind as he could cruel gentle as he was rough. It didn’t matter though, because Zuko would never let you leave him; you were as trapped now as you had been when you were locked away, all you had was the illusion of freedom, and yet you were so terrified of being in that room again.

“Zuko, you’re hurting me,” You whimpered with tears in your eyes, just like that all of the fire and rage that was in him a second ago is extinguished, and Zuko Jumped backward like you’re the one that burned him. Even though your glad to be released, it worried you how fast he can go from burning hot rage to gut-wrenching guilt. What does this say for your future, you don’t know, maybe he’d let you go, or he might lock you up again. Your life is in his hands, and you hated it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is welcomed


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said the story was going to be five parts, but chapters four and five (mostly chapter four tbh) didn’t have enough meat on their bones to stand alone (this is what I get for never outlining folks, surprises, and not the good kind.) so they ended up mashed together into one chapter. Italics are pre-room, no italic sections are post-room.

I know I said the story was going to be five parts, but chapters four and five (mostly chapter four tbh) didn’t have enough meat on their bones to stand alone (this is what I get for never outlining folks, surprises, and not the good kind.) so they ended up mashed together into one chapter. Italics are pre-room, no italic sections are post-room.

_After you’d first woken up after being shot with lightning, you were grateful to have Zuko by your side, but soon enough his presence began to feel suffocating, and if he couldn’t be there himself, because you know being ruling a country could keep a man busy, he’d have a healer and a guard by your side twenty-four seven. For the first couple of months it made sense, after all, there was only so much Katara’s healing could do, and you’d needed help to do even the most basic of tasks, but now that you didn’t need so much better all of the people doting on you was stifling._

_Not to mention you’d spent most of your life free wandering where you please when you pleased, it wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to say that palace life with its strict routine was unbearable. So, you’d somehow managed to slip off and find a bag; over the past week, you’d been stuffing it full of essential supplies. Then one night, you’d set out, but one of the servants must have tipped Zuko off because he’d meet you in front of the servants’ door you’d planned on using to slip out without being noticed._

_“Your leaving,” Zuko said, his voice catching in his throat ever so slightly. You couldn’t leave him; you were his world, didn’t you know that._

_“I’m sorry, Zuko, but I can’t stay here anymore I’ve tried, but I just don’t know how to put down roots, it’s not who I am.” You chocked back the tears threatening to spill out from your eyes, you couldn’t let him see you cry, you didn’t want to break his heart more than necessary. You knew you should have said goodbye, but part of you knew that if you did, he might be able to talk you into staying. You were withering here, losing parts of yourself, because you just weren’t made for a stationary life._

_“You can’t, or maybe you don’t want to try.” You were surprised by the amount of venom dripping from Zuko’s lips, you thought it was understandable after all you might as well have just ripped his heart out and stomped on it._

_Zuko let you leave after that; at least that’s what you thought, but when you drank from your water skin, the water tasted strangely bitter, although you didn’t have much time to contemplate this before you fell to the ground unconscious._

_*-*-*-*-*-*_

The women around your rushed to help you get dressed for what they thought would be the happiest day of your life, but that really just filled you with dread. There was a point in your life where you’d dreamed of marring Zuko, but that had been back when the two of you were still traveling together on a decommissioned fire nation warship. You’d always imagined standing on its metal deck, Lieutenant Jee as acting captain he would officiate your vows, and you’d be surrounded by the members of the ship’s crew that didn’t hate you, and of course, Iroh would be there to serve tea after the wedding.

You’d always dreamed your wedding would be a happy occasion, but now you’d be forced to stand in front of thousands of strangers promising to spend the rest of your life to a man whom you hadn’t loved in years, a man who’d kept you locked away in a room for years, a man who’d burned you because he was jealous. Maybe you could weasel your way out of this, but then you couldn’t just think of yourself, the world was depending on Zuko to keep the peace, it wouldn’t take much for the Fire Nation army to take back the earth kingdom, it was still weak after fighting a losing war for a hundred years. Not to mention The Earth King was as spineless a jellyseal, the man wouldn’t fight his own battles even if he was the last man in his Kingdom.

The avatar was an option, but even if you told Aang there was no way to guarantee he’d believe you, Zuko was his friend, not yours, and because of that, he’d have no reason to believe you over Zuko. Even if you got Zuko magically removed from the throne that would still leave a nation in chaos, Azula couldn’t rule because she’d gone mad, Iroh had already renounced his claim to the throne, and Ozai was locked up in an Earth Kingdom prison somewhere.

A civil war was always going to be one assassination away, at least until Zuko had kids. That was a thought that sent a chill down your spine when you realized whether you wanted to or not; you were going to have to have children with Zuko. Why had the spirits chosen you to endure this fate, wasn’t there some Fire Nation citizen who would be happy to spend the rest of their life serving the Fire Lord and bending to his every whim?

_*-*-*-*-*-*_

_You woke up in a small Fire Nation prison cell, wearing clothes you definitely hadn’t been when you’d left. You didn’t own any silk, let alone silk this fine. The juxtaposition between the cell and clothes threw you for a loop, why give you beautiful silk robes but leave you in a room that barely had enough space for a grown man to lay down._

_It all made some sort of sick sense when you saw Zuko approaching, why hadn’t you seen it before that something was off with him. You’d seen creeps of all kinds on the road, but something about Zuko made you drop your guard, maybe it was because something about him reminded you of a kicked dog. One fact remained Zuko had drugged you and had locked you up in a prison cell, you’d be moved to the room in a few months’ time, and you’d spend years of your life trying to leave it, only to give up and accept your fate._

_*-*-*-*-*-*_

The women dressing you gently slid the amber necklace that you hadn’t seen in over five years, over your head. You’d given it to Zuko just before the siege at the north pole, it was your way of making him promise to come back, you’d told him he’d have to return it to you one day and that if he died an lost it out there, you’d never forgive him.

Unfortunately, he’d survived and chosen today as the day to fulfill his promise, though not for long, he’d be getting it back at the ceremony, and your family heirloom would become just another artifact of the royal family.

After you were dressed, it didn’t take long for the wedding to start, and it seemed like it went on for hours, mostly because it did, the Fire Sage wouldn’t quit droning on and on about the sanctity of marriage, and the importance of the vows you and Zuko were about to take. You didn’t know if all fire nation wedding ceremonies were this long of if royal weddings were just long-winded. The latter seemed likely, but then again, who could say.

Now after you were to the part of the ceremony where you’d give your vows, two golden ceremonial blades were brought out along with a fan and three bowls, the largest of which was empty but sat atop a small stand that would allow for a fire to be lit underneath it. The other two contained water and dark volcanic soil; with practiced precision, you and Zuko each took a blade.

The weapon in your hand was heavy and sharp, sharp enough to slit a man’s throat, especially if he wasn’t expecting it, with this fact in mind you turned to Zuko, took a deep breath, said your vows, and pricked your finger. You wanted to kill him, you wanted to kill him more than anything, but a Fire Nation civil war would end badly for the whole word. Zuko had always thought you’d make a good Queen. He didn’t know how right he was. You and Zuko turned once again to face the Fire Sage and allowed a few drops of blood to fall into the water, you’d literally just made a blood vow to spend the rest of your life with Zuko.

“Agni,” the Fire Sage called loudly, invoking the sun spirt his people worshiped. “We ask you to bless this marriage with your radiant light so that it may have the stability of earth and can endure all that comes its way.” The fire sage poured the soil into the large empty bowl.

“The fluidity of water, so that the couple may grow and change together.” Again, the water and the blood it contained were added to the bowl.

“The warmth of fire, so they will never have to endure the cold alone.” This time it wasn’t the Fire Sage that added the element but Zuko. He created a whisper of flame and used it to light a fire beneath the bowl, as was traditional when a Firebender was getting married.

“Lastly, we ask that you may always grant this union fresh air so that it may never grow stale.” The Fire Sage picked up the fan and used it to stoke the fire. The end result of all of that was a boiling mixture of mud that the fire sages would use to grow a fire lily; it was said that if the plant died, then the marriage would end in tragedy. Rumor had it the one representing Zuko’s parents had withered within a day.

Now you were at the end of the traditional Fire Nation wedding, but there was still one more thing left that Zuko had insisted upon. The two of you turned to face each other you gently slid your heirloom necklace over your head. “I give you this as is tradition in my family, it is a symbol of love freely given.” Or it used to be at least, now it had become a symbol of Zuko’s obsession. “From a wife to her husband, and one day a father to his daughter.” You forced a smile and slid it over Zuko’s head. If you cried any tears, it would seem the world mistook them for Joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed my inner writer with feedback please, she thrives on it.


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